HOCKEY

Devils' Loss To Capitals Ends Streak For Brodeur

By ALEX YANNIS

Published: November 23, 1996

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Nov. 22—
Martin Brodeur looked at the bright side after the Devils' 5-1 loss to Washington tonight at Continental Arena.

''I guess we were due as a team,'' said the goalie, who suffered his first loss in 12 career starts against the Capitals. ''The thing is that we played well as a team, but every time they had a chance they put it in.''

The Devils dominated play. They had 39 shots and 7 manpower advantages against Olaf Kolzig but managed only a goal by Bill Guerin.

''I was satisfied with the way the guys played,'' Coach Jacques Lemaire said after his team suffered only its second loss in the last 9 games and first against the Capitals in the last 11. ''It sounds foolish to say that when you lose 5-1, but that's how I feel.''

The situation was ideal for Lemaire to replace Brodeur with Mike Dunham at the start of the last period, after Washington took a 4-0 lead, but Lemaire stuck to his plan of using Dunham for the conclusion of the home-and-home series Saturday night at USAir Arena.

While the Devils (11-7-1) came up empty on four power plays in the first session, the Capitals (11-9-1) scored on their only advantage, with Chris Simon getting the goal, at 6 minutes 38 seconds.

After Steve Konowalchuk extended the lead early in the second, Simon used the same formula he used on his first goal, beating Brodeur under the glove for his fifth of the season.

Kelly Miller picked up Scott Niedermayer's turnover at his blue line during the Devils' sixth power play, skated in toward Brodeur and beat the goalie with a deke from left to right.

Jeers accompanied the Devils as they headed for the dressing room, and they grew louder when Peter Bondra scored the fifth for the Capitals before the third period was 1:19 old.

Guerin saved face for the Devils by scoring his eighth of the season to spoil Kolzig's first shutout of his career. Kolzig made 17 saves in the opening period to keep the game close.

''The Devils had all the momentum in that first period and that's when you need your goalie to come through,'' Capitals Coach Jim Schoenfeld said. ''The Devils were at the top of their game and we limited their rebound chances.''

SLAP SHOTS

KEN DANEYKO was given permission to visit his ill sister in Edmonton and will also miss Saturday's game at USAir Arena. . . . PETR SYKORA was assigned to Albany for conditioning after missing four games with a groin problem and the last two with a severe sore throat. . . . VALERY ZELEPUKIN returned after missing three games with the flu. . . . NEAL BROTEN, removed from the Devils' roster last month after playing only three games with the team this season, was sent to the Los Angeles Kings Friday for future considerations. No further details were announced by LOU LAMORIELLO, the president and general manager of the Devils, who made the announcement before the game. The Devils assigned the 36-year-old Broten to their top minor league affiliate, the Albany River Rats, once he cleared waivers. Then the Devils assigned Broten to the Manitoba Moose of the International Hockey League. His $950,000 salary will be assumed by the Kings.

Photo: Chris Simon celebrating after he scored the Washington Capitals' first goal last night, sliding the puck past Martin Brodeur during the first period. (Bernie Nunez for The New York Times)